System and apparatus for elevating rigid pavements



Sept. 18, 1934. J. w. POULTER 1,974,123

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING' RIGID PAVEMENTS 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 29. 1932 1 A J AH H w ww 11K.

3W WA Sept. 18, 1934. J. w. POULTER SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING RIGID PAVEMENTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 29, 1932 Sept. 18, 1934. J. w. POULTER 1,974,123

SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING RIGID PAVEMENTS 7 Filed Sept. 29, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 l6 2 l6 3 t J 1 Wjau/ler Sept. 18, 1934. J. w. POULTER SYSTEM AND APP ARATUSFORELEVATING RIGID PAVEMENTS Filed Sept. 29. 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 E 704/0 coM/wasso/i 1 70 $100 ."suPPz Y .98

I lfllllll/Illllll ,plIiFm" Patented Sept. 18, 1934 PATENT OFFICE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING' V RIGID PAVEMENTS John W. Pculter, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, assignor to National Equipment Corporation, Milwaukee,

' Wis, a corporation Application September 29, 1932, Serial No. 635,440

14 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for maintenance of subgrade under rigid types of highway pavement. In order to more clearly understand the purposes of the present invention, it may be stated that owing to the necessity for strict adherence to state or federal regulations appertaining to highway construc tion, a great amount of care is exercised by the contractor to lay the slab to the exact designated grade. In some instances, where more than oneeighth of an inch of light can be seen under a tenfoot straight .edge, a contractor will be required to put in a new section and in other instances to grind down the high spots.

Furthermore, it is necessary to lay the slab upon earth fills which, due to natural conditions, settle unevenly causing the slab to settle in a similar manner, even within a very short time. A slab which, at the time of construction, was entirely satisfactory, I frequently develops waves many times greater than that allowed at the time of construction, with the result that almost without exception, a slab which has been down more than two years will have many waves in it of an inch or more which are very noticeable in driving over it.

Experience hasshown that in this uneven grade settlement, the fill has settled away from the slab until in many places there is not more than fifty percent of the pavement area which is directly supported by the sub-grade. It is this uneven grade settlement, something which cannot be prevented, which is causing highway paving to fail under present day heavyrtrafiic, and not faulty material, construction or wear-from the surface. Obviously, if a highway slab is given the proper support, it will last many years longer than if it has to serve as a bridge over an uneven subgrade. This settlement is usually worse at bridge approaches and over high fills.

These conditions first led me to the development of a machine for-maintaining or correcting highway defects which is set forth in my copending application,-Serial No. 542,153, filed June 4, l931, but this machine, provided with only one or two nozzles, is entirely insufiicient or too slow to maintain the subgrade under an entire highway system. Hence it is the .primary object of these improvements to provide an apparatus of a size, which, in the first place will permit of the treatment of the slab at alarge number of points, and in the second place, for the purpose of subgrade correction or alteration, embodies-an automatic control for variably regulating the lift of the slab atsuchpoints under variable pressure conditions to insure the gradual elevation of the slab in sequence corresponding to the differences in the extent of lift or pressures necessary to bring the slab to normal or desired level.

To this end the apparatus preferably embodies adjustable engaging means for predetermining the elevation to which the slab is to be raised, a plurality of distributing means for delivery of the filling material under pressure at different points and a control device for bringing into play and automatically discontinuing the several distributing means according to the requirements relating to the varying levels and pressures. By my special method of control and operation of this apparatus a large area of slab can be quickly brought into the position desired at a material decrease in labor and expense.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 1a constitute a side elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figs. 2 and 211 show a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3'is an end elevation;

Fig. 4' is a transverse section showing more clearly the gage members andcertain of the control valves for the filling material or pressure medium;

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the gage board indicators;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the control device, its circuits, associated valves and slab operating devices for controlling the valves through the circuits;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view of a supply valve used with .this apparatus; and Fig. 8 is a pressure operated'control valve for the supply valve.

Like. reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings and specifically describing the preferred embodiment of the invention 1 designates an elongated frame of tubular truss work of a. length which will extend over a relatively large area of paving. This frame work is mounted upon wheels 2 or other ground supports so that it may constitute a trailer which may be attached to a tractor vehicle and readily brought to the location of the work. The bottom members 1a of the frame 1 constitute a large conduit to receive and distribute the filling material which constitutes the fluid pressure medium for lifting sections of the slab as hereinafter described. This filling material is supplied from a suitable source such as a mixing and pumping apparatus described in my copending patent hereinbefore mentioned. The pumping apparatus (not shown) is connected to the intake and outlet 3 and 4, respectively, so as to afford a circulation of mud or other suitable, filling material in fluid form and under pressure. Any number of outlet hose connections 5 are provided in the bottom of this supply conduit, and hose pipes 6 of suitable length, provided with nozzles '7 are connectedthereto.

At each end, the long frame 1 is connected to a pair of jack supportsii through the medium of bracket arms 9, it being understood that when this apparatus is in operation, the weight is taken off the wheels 2 and the jacks employed to level the frame over the area of operation.

On the sides of the frame 1 are mounted what I term gage boards 10, these being carried by slidable arms 11 which extend into tubular fixed cross supports 12. Such an arrangement permits the boards to be adjusted laterally of the frame for reasons which will more fully appear as this description proceeds. The adjustment of the arms 11 may be fixed by clamping screws 13 or the like. The connection between the gage boards and the arms 11 is in the nature of slotted brackets l i, in the slots of which the clamping bolts 15 are adjustable. The vertical adjustments of these boards, each of which is provided With an indicator 16, shown in Fig. 5, affords a method of determining the proper level or pitch of the slab in relation to the level established by the adjustment of the main frame by means of its jacks 8.

Mounted upon the gage boards are a plurality of contact bars 17, provided with clips 18, the ends of which engage in longitudinal slots in the edges of the gage boards 10. There are as many of these contact bars as there are hose connections, one for each, and by virtue of the adjustment of the arms 11 and the slidability of the contact bars 17 on the gage boards it is possible to locate the pins or rods 19 adjacent the respective holes in the slab through which the hose connections 6 direct the filling material in operation of this apparatus. The rods 19 are slidable vertically in laterally extending eyes 17' and are held in adjusted positions by means of the spring fingers 20 which constitute electric contact brushes for cooperation with the series of contacts carried by the commutator bars 17. In other Words, each of the bars 17 carries a plurality of electrical contacts 21 in vertical arrangement, as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 6, each corresponding contact being connected by the conductor 22 to a common contact in the control switch device 23. The switch member 24 of this device and the commutator contacts '21 are in circuit with a suitable source of electric current designated 25, the circuit to said contacts being completed by the wires 26 through solenoid operated air valves 27 to the rods 19 carrying the fingers 20.

Each of the air valves, shown clearly in Fig. 8, comprises the core member 28 having an elongated valve extension 29 provided with a central exhaust passage 30, having a lateral port 31 above the upper annular shoulder 32. The extension 29 is mounted within the valve casing 33 forming a part of the solenoid housing, said casin being closed by a second shoulder 34. The intake port 35 of this casing communicates through the conduit 36 with the air line 37, leading to a compressor (not shown) by means of which air under pressure is fed to the casing and through the outlet port 38 thereof and pipe 38' to a supply valve 39.

One of these supply valves, shown in Fig. '7 in detail, controls each hose connection 5. Such valves are each preferably composed of a cylinder 40 within which an air piston 41 operates. The stem 42 of the piston is connected by a link or chain 43 to a ball valve 44 seating on the entrance to the coupling 5v Normally a spring 45 holds this valve upon its seat but when pressure is admitted to the cylinder 40 the valve ball is raised from its seat by the upward travel of the piston 41 to thereby admit the fluid filling material to the hose leading to the associated opening in the slab. The system of subgrade and slab maintenance can best be understood by a summary of the operation of the apparatus described with particular reference to the diagrammatic showing in Fig. 6.

ct us first assume that openings through the slab to be treated have been drilled at the various points of depression and where lifting pressure is to be applied. The machine is then moved into position over the slab and leveled'upon its jack supports and the gage boards adjusted to indicate the proper or normal level to which the slab or fill is to be raised. If the slab is to be raised to a straight grade, the gage boards 10 are all set with their indicators 16 at zero, but if the slab over which the frame extends is to be raised to an uneven grade or is on a vertical curve, this is taken care of by adjusting the gage boards accordingly at their indicators. Each hose connection is now inserted in the near slab opening and the rods 19 moved downwardly until their lower ends rest upon the surface of the slab adjacent to its associated openings or hose connection. It must be understood at this point that no two holes will take mud at the same pressure. Unless proper control were exercised over the operation, the hole taking the mud at the lowest pressure would get all of the material and thus would cause the slab to bulge and crack at this point. The contact system of this invention has therefore been devised to take care of this condition. The No. 1 contact points represent the level to which the slab is to be raised. The mud valve through which mud is going to the lowest level will be opened first, causing the slab at this point to be raised first. Let us suppose that at this level there are five different mud valves opened under the control of the switch device 23 and that at one of these valves five pounds of pressure is required, at a second eighteen pounds, at a third thirty pounds, at the fourth eighty pounds and at the fifth one hundred twenty pounds. As pressure is built up to the five pounds, the slab at No. 1 valve will be raised. The rod 19 associated with the slab at this point will cause the contact to bebroken as the brush carried thereby passes oif of the contact element and in consequence the supply valve for the pressure fluid will close. The pressure will then build up to eighteen pounds whereupon the second valve will be closed; then as the pressure builds up to the thirty pounds, eighty pounds and one hundred twenty pounds, respectively, the remain- .ing valves will automatically close in sequence. This operation is repeated in each stage of elevation until the whole slab is at its desired elevation. r 1

Reference to Fig. 6' will make this operation clear. There it will be seen thatthe brush of the second rod 19 is at the lowest contact point of all of the contact brushes which is contact number' lo. All of the others are on contact No. '7. "The operatorin carrying out the operation of this apparatus first moves the switch member 24 to No.12 point on the switch control 23. Since there are no contact brushes on No. 12 points of the commutator -members none of .the circuits in which these members are included are closed. Consequently no operation takes place. The switch member is then moved to No. 11 where the same condition obtains. Asthe-switch is now moved to No. point the circuit is closed at the second hole, causing the solenoid-core 28 of the air valve 27 to move upwardly; Air pressure from the line 37 now passes through the valve casing and into the cylinder 40 of the supply valve, opening the valve 44, whereupon mud will flow into the opening under the'slab until said slab is raised and the brush moved upwardly, breaking the solenoid circuit. The brush is now on point No. 9. 1

As the next stage of operation, the operator moves the member 24 again to the next contact point No.- 9 and this will again open the supply 1 3 valve previously referred to until the slab is raised a second increment of movement which breaks the circuit as the brush passes to the contact element 8. 'This action occurs again as the switch is moved to point No. '7. When moved to No. 7 all of the circuitsshown in'the diagrammatic figure will be closed and all of the holes will receive mud under'the various pressure conditions required as explained in the foregoing description. Continuation of movement of the a switch member 24 point by point raises the slab gradually upwardly until point No. 1 is reached on the commutator bars where the slab is disposed at the desired elevation.

It will thus be seen that by the use of this system of subgrade treatment a paving slab of considerable size may be elevated at the points of depression where the pressure fluid is introduced beneath the same.

It is to be understood that in carrying out this method of treatment of the pavement I may employ apparatus of different construction than that disclosed in the form herein illustrated and that changes may readily be made in the detail construction without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 7 Patent is:

1. Apparatus for raising rigid pavement, comprising a frame, means for supporting the frame above pavement, means carried by the frame for introducing a fluid pressure medium beneath the pavement, and means connected to the frame for discontinuing the pressure medium automatically operative when a predetermined level has been reached.

3. Apparatus for elevating rigid pavement, comprising a frame, means for supporting. said frame, means carried by the frame for supplying a fluid pressure medium to different points beneath the pavement to elevate the same, and means connected to the frame and operable "by the pavement for automatically discontinuing the flow of the said medium when a predeter-I mined level has been reached.

4. Apparatus for elevating rigid pavement, comprising a frame, means for supporting said frame, means carried by the frame for supplying a fluid pressure medium to spaced points beneath the pavementto elevate the same,.said pressure medium constituting apermanent filler, "and means automatically operative for independently controlling the degree of elevating action at each of said points. r r

'5. Apparatus for elevating rigid pavement, comprising a frame, means for supporting said frame, means carried by the frame for supplying a' fluid pressure medium to spaced pointsbeneath the pavement to elevate the same, said pressure medium constituting a permanent filler, and means for independently controlling the degree of'elevating action fromthe pavement at each of said'points. I

6. Apparatus for elevating rigid pavements comprising aframe, means for supportingthe frame, means carried by the frame for supplying a fluid pressure medium to points beneath the pavement to elevate the same including a conduit and a controlling valve therefor, means carried by said frame for actuating said valve at will to' effect flow of said pressure medium, and separate means connected to the frame for closing said valve automatically operative when the pavement has reached a predetermined level.

7. Apparatus for elevating rigid pavement comprising a frame, means for supporting the frame, means carried by the frame for supplying a fluid pressure medium to points beneath the pavement to elevate the same including a conduit and a controlling valve therefor, electrically controlled means on said frame for actuating said valve at will to effect flow of said pressure medium, and means connected to the frame for breaking the circuit and closing the valve incident to the elevating action of the pavement.

8. Apparatus for elevating rigid pavement comprising a frame, means for supporting the frame, means carried by the frame for supplying a fluid pressure medium to points beneath the pavement to elevate the same including a conduit and a controlling valve therefor, electrically controlled means associated with said frame for actuating said valve at will to effect flow of said pressure medium, and means connected to the frame and coacting with the pavement slab including circuit making and breaking means, said last named means being operable to open the circuit of the electric control means when the slab has reached an elevated position.

9. Apparatus for elevating rigid pavement comprising a frame, means for supporting the frame, means carried by the frame for supplying a fluid pressure medium to points beneath the pavement to elevate the same including a conduit and a ,a

controlling valve therefor, electrically controlled means associated with said frame for actuating said valve at will to effect flow of said pressure medium, means connected to the frame and coacting with the pavement slab including circuit iii li-il making and breaking means, said last named means being operable to open the circuit of the electric control means when the slab has reached an elevated position, and means on the frame for determining the elevated position last named.

10. Apparatus for treating pavement construction comprising a frame, means on said frame for establishing a predetermined normal level to which the pavement is to be raised, means carried by the frame for supplying a pressure fluid medium to different points of the pavement to be elevated to said normal level, and means associated with the frame for variably controlling said supply means according to the pressures at each point necessary to raise said slab.

11. Apparatus for treating pavement comprising aframe, gage means on said frame for establishing a predetermined normal level, means carried by the frame for supplying a pressure fluid medium to different points of the pavement to be elevated to said normal level, including a pressure operated valve, a second valve means associated with the valve for controlling the supply of pressure to said valve, a contact device for each supply valve, circuit making and breaking means cooperating with said contact device including a member disposed to rest on the pavement at the point to be raised, and a control switch in circuit with the second mentioned valve means and the contact device.

12. Apparatus for treating pavements comprising a frame, gage means on said frame, means carried by the frame supplying a pressure medium to different points beneath the pavement including a valve controlled conduit leading to each point, a contact member associated with each conduit and mounted on said gage means, said contact member being composed of a plurality of vertically arranged contact elements, a

brush member slidably coacting with said contact elements and a rod on which said brush is mounted and extending to the surface of the pavement to be raised, said rod member being shiftable as the pavement is raised to move the brush from one contact member to another, and a control switch for said contacts.

13. Apparatus for treating pavements and the like comprising a frame, gage means on the frame, means carried by the frame for supplying a pressure medium to different points beneath the pavement including a plurality of conduits, a supply valve for each conduit, a pressure control valve for operating the supply valve, and electrical means associated with said gage means for operating said pressure control valve from the different pavement points aforesaid.

14. Apparatus for treating pavements and the like comprising a frame, gage means on the frame, means for supplying a pressure medium to different points beneath the pavement including a plurality of conduits, a supply valve for each conduit, a pressure control valve for operating the supply valve, electrical means for operating said pressure control valve from the different pavement points aforesaid, said electrical means including commutator means mounted on said frame and coacting surface engaging means adapted to engage the surface to be raised adjacent the aforesaid points of supply of the pressure medium for breaking the circuit of the pressure control valve means when the pavement at the respective points has been elevated, and a control switch having a plurality of contacts and circuits leading to the pressure control valve operating means and the commutator means, whereby the circuits may be closed to effect operation of the valve.

JOHN W. POULTER. 

